Beadmaking Basics

There are many different techniques for making modern art glass beads, but
mine are examples of flameworked (also known as lampworked) beads. The glass I use comes in rods about
the diameter of a pencil and is called soft glass, or soda-lime glass.
Each bead is made one at a time, though sometimes more than one bead can be
formed side by side on the same mandrel, which is helpful when making multiple
beads of the same size or design.

A stainless steel mandrel is prepared by dipping the end in bead release, a ceramic-type material that allows the finished bead to break away and slide off the metal after it is completed.

The release is allowed to air
dry, or can be dried in the flame, and the prepared mandrels are placed
within easy reach during a work session.

The torch is lit by igniting
the propane first, then oxygen is added to the flame mix to get a cleaner
flame that also burns hotter. The working temperature for the
soda-lime glass that I use is approximately 1400 degrees Fahrenheit.

A rod of glass is warmed by
dipping the end in and out of the flame. Bits of glass sometimes fly
off at this point, so the rod is pointed away and held perpendicular to my
body. The mandrel (in my left hand) is simultaneously heated in
preparation for the application of glass.

A
larger gather of molten glass accumulates by angling the rod up and
working the flame along the length of it. Since the glass is now
accustomed to the heat, it is not likely to pop and can be worked at an
angle more parallel to the body for easier viewing.

When the gather of glass is the
appropriate size for the size of the bead being made and is evenly heated,
it is touched to the mandrel which is then rotated in order to wrap the
glass around it.

The bead is put back in the
flame to smooth the glass into shape. I am stabilizing the end of
the mandrel with a tool as I rotate the bead to promote “centering”,
meaning the glass is even on all sides of the hole, and I don’t end up
with a lop-sided bead.

The molten bead is taken out of
the flame and allowed to cool slightly in order to firm the glass into
shape. When it is at the stage of heat shown in the photo, it must
still be carefully rotated so that it stays on center and does not droop.

After the base bead is formed,
decoration may be applied to the surface with stringers, very thin strands
of glass that have been pulled ahead of time. This is the most
common way to get detail into a very small area.

Here you can see that the
applied stringer is still raised, and it could be left this way if that is
the effect desired.

The bead is reheated to melt
the decoration smoothly into the surface.

Graphite hand tools are
sometimes used to shape a bead, but this is just one of many tools
available to flameworkers.

After the bead is completely
shaped and decorated, it goes straight from the flame into the annealing
kiln, where it is held at a temperature of 940 degrees Fahrenheit during
my work session. From there the temperature is ramped up to 1000
degrees and held for 30 minutes, then the digital controller slowly takes
it down to room temperature. This is a process that usually takes overnight, so I don’t get to see the final product until the next
morning when I unload the annealer.

Many safety precautions must be
observed while making beads. One of the most important is wearing
the correct protective eye wear. Special lenses in my glasses block
the bright orange sodium flare shown in the photo, preventing permanent
eye damage, as well as allowing me to see what I’m doing! The
second set of darker lenses which are flipped up are a stronger protection
which would be used while working borosilicate glass.

After the beads have cooled
overnight, each one is removed from its mandrel by twisting and pulling
until the bead release crumbles and the bead slides off. A bead is
permanently stuck if the bead release is compromised while the bead is
being formed, a problem which becomes less frequent with practice and
experience.

Different artists have
different ways of removing residual bead release from the hole of the
bead. I prefer to grind each bead hole down cleanly to the glass.
I use a bead reamer with a diamond bit.